Adamawa State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Omar Suleiman, has called for economic independence that delivers jobs, security and improved living standards.

Mr Suleiman made the call in his Independence Day message on Thursday in Yola.

He said independence should be reflected in employment, quality education, accessible healthcare, profitable agriculture, functional infrastructure, viable businesses and security for citizens.

Mr Suleiman said political independence would remain incomplete if citizens continued to face poverty, unemployment, insecurity and inadequate public and social services.

He said Nigeria possessed the human and natural resources required for prosperity, citing farmers, professionals, entrepreneurs, academics, innovators and young people as valuable national assets.

“The challenge is to build effective institutions and provide leadership capable of converting the country’s resources into prosperity that could be felt by ordinary households. The real measure of progress is the quality of life of the ordinary citizen,” he said.

On Adamawa State, Mr Suleiman said the state was endowed with human, agricultural, cultural and natural resources capable of supporting sustainable economic development.

He said his vision of an “Adamawa That Works” would transform agriculture from subsistence production into a productive economic enterprise through irrigation, storage, agro-processing and reliable markets.

The ADC candidate also called for greater economic opportunities for youths and women, alongside improved access to healthcare, education, roads, water, electricity and other infrastructure.

“Government must be measured not by the volume of promises it makes, but by the lives it changes.

“Governance should be treated as a problem solving responsibility, requiring proper diagnosis, planning, discipline and effective implementation,” he said.

He urged citizens, particularly youths, to participate peacefully in democratic processes, demand accountability and reject violence, while allowing lawful institutions to resolve political disputes.

He said Adamawa’s future depended on collective efforts to create opportunities, protect vulnerable citizens, develop human capital and give young people reasons to remain and prosper.

“The future is not something that happens to us. The future is something we build,” he said.

Mr Suleiman reaffirmed his vision of an “Adamawa That Works,” where government creates opportunities, rewards hard work, develops agriculture and gives citizens greater security, dignity and hope. 

(NAN)